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How to Tell When that Struggling New Hire Can’t be Saved, and More of Your Questions Answered

Also, the Golden Rule of Triggers and a better way to set goals.




I got really angry at a customer the other day and left a pretty rude message on their voicemail. So, OK, I’ve lost that client. But how can I keep this from happening again?

If you feel that anger management is an issue that’s affecting many parts of your life, go see a mental health professional. However, if you’re like the rest of us, and anger is more a cause for periodic embarrassment or regret, we fully recommend business author Tony Schwartz’s Golden Rule of Triggers, which is “Whatever you feel compelled to do, don’t.” Instead, he says, take a deep breath, and “feel your feet” — a distraction tactic that allows you to pull your head out of the red mist. You can no doubt remember occasions when you’ve told yourself (or others) to “take a deep breath” or to “count to 10” before exploding in rage. What Schwartz’s rule removes, though, is the need to reflect on whether we’re in such a situation. Instead, it recommends interpreting any sign of compulsive behavior as an indication that the action is probably imprudent. Rather than battling compulsion, his rule co-opts it as a warning system. The Golden Rule of Triggers may seem ridiculously simple, but in that tiny gap between the total grip of “flight or fight” survival mode and doing something you’ll regret, more likely to be an ill-considered email or text message these days, simple rules are all you’ll be capable of following.

How do you know when a new employee can’t be saved? How much time should you give someone?

When you have coached someone carefully and repeatedly, invested large amounts of energy and they show no signs of improvement, that’s a solid signal you probably need to act. The clincher comes when their co-workers start showing their frustration and stop trying to help the person. This is often at about the three or four month mark. A lot of bosses will let it drag on past that, but it’s really in everyone’s interest for both parties to pursue new opportunities.

What should I do if I think my store is being “cased”?

There are several immediate steps that can reduce the likelihood of a robbery or burglary. Jewelers Mutual offers the following advice. First, alert your employees by using a pre-established code word or phrase. When that happens, your employees should take the following steps:

1. Have an employee with a cellphone leave the store to observe from a safe distance.
2. Make more employees visible on the sales floor.
3. Write down the description of any suspicious people and, if possible, their license plate number.
4. Make sure cabinets, showcases and safes are locked.
5. Greet the individuals and attempt to engage them in conversation. If they are robbers, your attention will be unwanted and they will leave.
6. Call the police and ask them to visit your store as soon as possible. Explain that you think your store is being cased for a potential robbery or burglary.
7. Store customers’ merchandise in a safe place out of sight.
8. Review procedures to follow should a robbery occur — stay calm, do not resist, obey the robber’s orders, do not say or do anything unless you are told to do so.

Morale is bad and moaning seems to be part of our culture. Any ideas on how to turn it around?

Bring an upbeat attitude to the store every morning and make it clear you expect the same positivity from your charges. In this new era, it’s expected your employees will take responsibility for their own happiness and effectiveness. For truly disgruntled staff, there’s not much a manager can do except to make it known they are on the wrong bus. (And it’s often a couple of bad seeds that will set the toxic tone for a store.) A jewelry store is no place for people who throw their hands up in the air and declare, “This place sucks!” at every setback.




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